Concerning the second fruitless night, I am not sure if the
Lord allowed it in order to show them their backslidden
condition -- because they had returned to their old fishing
occupation -- or if He did this merely to strengthen their
weakened faith following the Crucifixion, by proving to them
once again that He was indeed the risen Messiah:

"After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the
disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he
himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called
Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of
Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith
unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go
with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship
immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when
the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the
disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto
them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And
he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the
ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they
were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter,
It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he girt his fisherŐs coat unto him, (for he was
naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other
disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from
land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net
with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they
saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now
caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full
of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all
there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith
unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst
ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus
then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish
likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed
himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the
dead."
John 21:1-14, KJV

As any fisherman knows, after a while, sometimes the fish
become rather smart. They recognize the color and shape of
the lure; they see the glint of the hook where it has not
been carefully covered by the bait; and they avoid it and
refuse to bite. Ironically, while these real fish may save
themselves from the frying pan, in the spiritual parallel
to this example, the exact opposite holds true. While some
smart, worldly people think that they are safe by refusing
the "foolishness" of the Gospel, they are in fact placing
themselves in grave danger of not just being placed in the
frying pan, but of being cast directly into the fire. They
would be much better off if they simply took the bait -- the
Cross/Hook of Christ -- and allow themselves to be caught by
God's fishermen. More on this in a moment; but allow me to
share a few verses with you regarding such world-wise people
who do not understand, and who in fact resist God's Spirit
working in their lives:

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of
God."
1 Corinthians 1:18, KJV

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them."
2 Corinthians 4:4, KJV

So which are you, dear reader; a dumb fish or a smart fish?

While in God's Mercy, we are all eventually given a chance
to hear the Gospel of Salvation, and thus faced with the
all-important choice of either accepting or else rejecting
the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ as Atonement for our sins, the
Bible also plainly tell us that only those people who have
been predestinated and chosen by God the Father Himself,
will take heed to the Voice of His Spirit calling in their
lives, and will be saved. That is why Jesus plainly stated:

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
John 6:37, KJV

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me:"
John 10:27, KJV

Clearly then, it is God the Father who gives the sheep to
the Great Shepherd; His own dear Son. He is the One who
places the spark of faith in our hearts, so that we will
have the desire to fulfill His Will by being saved. Thus,
contrary to what some people may think, choosing Christ is
not something of which we can personally boast. It is only
the work of God the Father, and Jesus Christ, our Great
Shepherd, as we see here:

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant,"
Hebrews 13:20, KJV

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13, KJV

So again, we cannot heed the call of the "great shepherd of
the sheep", unless we have been ordained to do so. Here are
some additional verses concerning being predestinated and
chosen as the foreordained, adopted children of God, through
faith in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I have again placed
some words in capital letters for the sake of emphasis:

"Ye have not chosen me, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you . . . If ye were of
the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD,
therefore the world hateth you."
John 15:16, 19, KJV

"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be
called, but FEW CHOSEN."
Matthew 20:16, KJV

"For many are called, but FEW ARE CHOSEN."
Matthew 22:14, KJV

"And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh
should be saved: but for the elect's sake, WHOM HE HATH
CHOSEN, he hath shortened the days."
Mark 13:20, KJV

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED
TO ETERNAL LIFE believed."
Acts 13:48, KJV

"For WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren."
Romans 8:29, KJV

"According as HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION
OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love . . . Having PREDESTINATED us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will . . . In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being PREDESTINATED according to
the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will:"
Ephesians 1:4-5, 11, KJV

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because GOD HATH FROM THE
BEGINNING CHOSEN YOU TO SALVATION through sanctification of
the Spirit and belief of the truth:"
2 Thessalonians 2:13, KJV

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of
this life; that he may please HIM WHO HATH CHOSEN HIM to be
a soldier."
2 Timothy 2:4, KJV

"Hearken, my beloved brethren, HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN the poor
of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which
he hath promised to them that love him?"
James 2:5, KJV

"But YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:"
1 Peter 2:9, KJV

"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:
and THEY THAT ARE WITH HIM ARE CALLED, AND CHOSEN, and
faithful."
Revelation 17:14, KJV


Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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